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Why push your style to evolve

Anonymous

Fashintern asked why one might push their style to evolve. That is a great question and the answers literally flooded my brain. There are so many reasons why one might need to push themselves out of their comfort zone and push themselves stylistically.

I have two personal reasons that I want to share with Fashintern and others.

First, I am a "uniform dresser." Wearing the same exact silhouette and the same color scheme year after year after year would be so easy for me to do. I could easily slip into a mode where I never changed or evolved anything in my life. I have to consciously make the decision to evolve. Because it is not natural, it takes work on my part.

In fact, before I even read Fashintern's comment, I had resolved to change things up thanks to Sal's Challenge. This is something I want to do at least semi annually. But it will not happen organically for me. I have to resolve to make the change.

Second, because I am such a "uniform dresser," I have to be conscious of changing styles so that I incorporate them into my wardrobe. Otherwise, I would literally be wearing silhouettes from high school and college days.

By deciding to evolve, I change up my wardrobe to look current and fresh. If I did not do this, I risk looking dated. Looking dated could make me appear/feel older than I am. As long as I am part of the work force, I owe it to myself to give the impression of current and fresh .... like I am on top of things. My wardrobe projects an image before I even start speaking. What image do I want it to present?

Angie probably has her own set of reasons for why she might want to evolve her style. In fact, everyone on this Forum probably has their own reason(s) for want to push an evolution in style.

Dressing

67 replies

Latest reply was from ophelia

nemosmom

Veteran

Wow, Sterling! Great food for thought here. This line resonates in particular: My wardrobe projects an image before I even start speaking. What image do I want it to present?

YES! This!! This is the question I need to print out and hang on the wall of my closet.

lyn67

Veteran

All you said so well, Sterling. I would add:-For fun!:-)

Anonymous

Thank you, Nemosmom! You made my day!

Anonymous

Slaps head! Of course for fun, Lyn67!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why does everyone always have to remind me to add fun into the equation???? Why can't I remember that all by myself????

Christina F.

Veteran

Great question and response, Sterling. I have three reasons.

- I get bored easily, especially since on my own I'll tend to keep buying the same colors and silhouettes. Those are still core to my wardrobe but I need some percentage of my wardrobe (20%? Not sure) where I change it up a bit. It's partly artistic expression for me (though my style is not "arty).

-I live in NYC, where I'm seeing new trends and interpretations of trends all the time. My eye therefore adjusts to new looks very quickly. Then of course I want to start adopting them, or my version of them.

-To a lesser extent, to make sure I'm staying current enough.

Anonymous

Fun, but also availability, and life/body changes. Each season we have new options, and sometimes our tried and true are just no longer avaiable. We have to rely on what's currently available at retail, which sometimes necessitates big silouette etc changes.

Our wardrobes also have to evolve with life changes-moving, new jobs/ activities/retirement, marriage, children. And our bodies change too, not just weight gain and loss, but haircolor (greying or choice to change). So what looks right one year may not be the next.
Its a moving target!

Mainelady

Veteran

Sterling, so very well said. I was reading your reasons and nodding my head in agreement. As I find myself easily evolving to a more casual work wardrobe, I do find that uniform dressing really appeals to me. I could easily have multiple outfits cross over to weekend wear. I need to stay conscious of that and want to aim a bit higher for my work place style.
I always anticipate audience and scenarios prior to getting dressed. What image do I want to project and how do I promote my best self, before saying a word? My number 1 choice is to begin with a smile.

Peri

Veteran

Thank you, very good points. When I read your title my initial thought was "yeah, why?" because I am also so comfortable in a uniform. But you are right, keeping current is, at the very least, good marketing. And whenever I push out of my uniform in small ways it gives me a little mood boost. Small ways for me though, no big changes!

kerry

Veteran

Because I’m fickle

Because I like to pay attention to trends but not be a slave to them. That part is fun.

Because I’m always learning and want to incorporate what I’ve learned into new looks that make me feel even more comfortable and true to myself.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Well said Sterling.We constantly evolve through out our lives.l am not the same person now as I was when I was 20.It would be strange to me therefore if my clothes were the same.

Susie

Veteran

Great question, Sterling, and your thoughts resonate with me. Because I work in HR and hiring people decades younger than me (wow that's a sobering thought!), I too want to look current. Not young or even younger than I am (57) necessarily but still relevant.

A change in jobs last year prompted a style shift for me. Previously I could wear pretty much whatever to work. Now I dress up a bit more. I don't think I've made a huge style change as I still gravitate to similar silhouettes. I am wearing more jackets and tend to choose higher quality fabrics

and I don't wear denim nearly as often. Overall my style is dressier and a bit more refined but it's not been a radical shift.

RobinF

Veteran

Great question and food for thought.

I love #3's answer/question "what image do I want to project". I think about that a lot but am not sure what my answer is! Some soul searching is really needed here.

A big one for me is looking current. I am experimenting with letting my hair go gray and it is making me very conscious about looking current. I have always considered that important but especially right now.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Great idea to start a thread on this, Sterling, and your reasoning is...well...sterling! Solid thinking.

I wrote a response on the blog that I will paste in, here:

1. To have fun! (And stave off fashion boredom and doldrums.)

2. To more closely express who I am who I’m becoming — both practically (i.e. to satisfy new lifestyle demands) *and* metaphorically — to match my personal aspirations more closely. I have grown and changed over the past 5 years — heck, even over the past year! — and my clothing feels best and makes me happiest when it reflects that.

3. To stay current. If your style descriptor includes the word “modern” that’s important. It is not necessarily important to everyone, but it is to me.

Toban

Veteran

Love all these answers! I keep a small wardrobe and am a heavy repeat wearer within a season, but have a high turnover for freshness (and do to heavy wear) across seasons. I am constantly evolving also, in what image I want to project and how I self-identify. I want my inner and outer personas to match. But opportunity and availability plays a part, too. The ability to evolve palette-wise is especially dependent on seasonal trends. I do tend to stick to similar silhouettes but always want updated versions.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA: I want to add that for some, the word "push" is a misnomer. I don't feel I have to "push" myself at all -- I just flow into the new. And that is even with being something of a uniform dresser! I mean, I've been loving jeans, short boots, and jackets as my core wardrobe staples since the 70s. But the ones I wear today are different from the ones I wore in 1979, 1989, 1999, 2009.

Anonymous

I am also a uniform dresser, and I saw the tendency in my dad and my grandmother. No complaints, I like the efficiency and dependableness once I get the formula worked out.

A few years ago I saw one of my neighbors wearing what could have been the actual items from her college wardrobe, of decades ago, in exactly the way she would have worn them then. There was something so " out of it" that it was strangely shocking and I think part of the reason was because I saw where I could be heading.

I started including some modified classics, like traditional styles in unusual colors, or vice versa but it's really about evolving my whole image because of course my life is changing.

Joy

Veteran

For me changing up style means a fresh interest in fashion, making it more fun. I don’t really have a plan but know changes keep things from getting boring. Just go to church or a brunch on a Sunday morning and you will see many many women who really need a style refresh. The most common sight is a retired woman who is still wearing her business dress in the same way she did when working, or the young mothers who just look like they rolled out of bed and are wearing their pregnancy clothes yet. Refreshers do not need to be extensive or expensive. Those older retired women need a pair or two of great fitting jeans. The young mothers probably don’t Have time or energy to shop,, but there is the internet and Stitch Fix and making a want list for others for gift giving occasions. I remember my DMIL gifting me with several pair of new undies when I was a young mom. This was the best gift ever. They were cotton and modest but oh how I needed them. They could be tossed in the washer and dryer.

LaPed

Veteran

For me it's largely boredom, or fickle-ness. I have a hard time with too much routine in almost any area of my life. My mom can eat the same lunch every day for years on end. I rarely eat the same thing two days in a row (even if I have leftovers I try to stagger them with other things). I crave variety! So of course I come to personal style with that same set of preferences. I totally appreciate that some people aim to nail down their style and have one less thing to think about, but I suspect it's something I'll always be thinking about, the same way I'm always looking for new recipes. Getting dressed is fun, cooking is fun. I have to do it every day so why not make it a hobby? I even get excited about trying new toothpastes, shampoos, you name it. It drives DH and DS nuts; they appreciate a degree of consistency in life.

All that said, I rarely get tired of individual wardrobe items as long as they fit and are well-made. Although I often feel the need to find new ways of styling things, I usually keep my clothes 'til they're unwearable. So I have to be careful not to go overboard when a new look catches my eye or I end up with more stuff than I can wear!

Anonymous

I suppose I take it for granted that anyone participating in this forum is a lover of fashion, design in general, and is interested in the intersection between the outer and the inner persona. As already mentioned - it's about what you want to project , and why. Who wants to look stuck in a dated , perhaps unflattering look from the past? To participate in the workforce in any outward-facing role or profession, we are first judged by how we look, period. I believe that pushing your style forward, reviewing it often and being conscious of how your wardrobe tells others what you're all about is important , and is related to personal growth in general. The world moves quickly around us, the years seem to fly by every-so-quickly as we age, and keeping up = staying relevant.

Of course, if fashion and your outward image is not important to you, then none of this matters And that's cool too.

Personally, I work in a field that demands my credibility be demonstrated first through looking current and fresh. Not younger, not super trendy, but to look like I know what I'm talking about. Polished, in control, organized, and up to date. Fake it until you make it - my mantra

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Great question! Sterling, well written and explained. I'm impressed.

I evolve my style a LITTLE every season for:

FUN! I love fashion and rip into what it has to offer. It's exciting
I'm a fashion professional so it's also part of my job
I will get bored with my style if I don't evolve a little each season. My evolution is subtle though.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

All of the above! I keep mine evolving because it’s fun and I take joy and pleasure out of dressing to put my best foot forward. One of my oldest, dearest friends, who has known me since we were 11 years old, says I’ve always been her fashionable friend. I take that as a compliment.

kkards

Veteran

exactly what lisa p said!

The world moves quickly around us, the years seem to fly by every-so-quickly as we age, and keeping up = staying relevant.

i work in a very young company with a lot of new young hires coming in every year...its important to me to be seen as knowing what is going on culturally as well as being up to date with technology. I'm never going to keep up with the music scene, and i'm totally out of the loop in the bar scene, but i can, and do, try to keep up on the fashion scene.

smittie

Veteran

My main reason for “evolving my style” is it makes me feel younger, more engaged, and happier.

Jules

Veteran

My husband is literally a grey-haired librarian, facing university students who ‘get younger every year’. So having a current look is important for him as well. It’s not the same look as the kids are wearing, but he definitely does not want to appear stuck in the past. He wants them to take his good advice on the best use of current technology to complete their research.
A few years ago my mother (70ish at the time) told me that she was getting frustrated with a slightly older friend because ‘you can’t tell her anything new, she already knows it all’. I had the idea that that’s how people get ‘old’ - they stop listening to new input from the world around them, and eventually people around them will stop bothering to keep them updated on the changing world.
This doesn’t mean everyone needs to follow fashion to stay current, it may be of no interest to an individual who stays current in other ways. And not staying current in anything is also a valid choice.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Sterling, thanks so much for starting this! It is so interesting to hear everyone’s perspectives.

I don’t actively chase styles, but do adapt new shapes & colors as my eye adjusts. Like 7/8 pants. I still don’t like the narrower ones, because they look like floodwater pants, as we called them in grade school, but these are starting to appeal to me. I could have pushed myself into crops last year, but I’m glad I didn’t. Now that they appeal to me, if i wear or buy a pair, it’ll be fun.

Lyn, is it fun to see your style evolve, or to push yourself to evolve your style? I’ve got no problem with evaluating whatever comes down the pike, adapting some of it now, some later, some never. To me, pushing my style to evolve would take the spontaneity and fun out of it. What’s the fun in pushing yourself there? That sounds like a snotty rhetorical question, but it isn’t. If you can explain the fun in the push, I’d appreciate it.

Christina, without the push, you would bore yourself? Interesting. I guess I just let myself get bored and then do something as a reaction—no pushing or force required.

Suz, this is exactly it!! I don't feel I have to "push" myself at all -- I just flow into the new. That’s the distinction I see. Why push yourself into something you will get to in a relaxed manner anyway? Does anyone truly like pushing themselves?

Suntiger, what you said about not everything always being available all the time makes sense—we have to deal with what’s actually at retail, and that can require a shove to get going. But the other part—our changing physicality—seems to me more like the sort of thing that just naturally happens. I think so anyway, though I am aware that I’ve had to intentionally set things aside as my tummy has grown. Not just items but whole ideas of how to dress. I guess that is a push after all.

Mainelady, that makes sense to me. There are various factors to take into account in our style, and I can definitely see the need to push oneself in some of those directions.

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Anonymous

Perhaps “push” isn’t quite the word we want . How about “actively seek “ or “ be open to “ etc

JAileen

Veteran

I really like Jules’ response. I feel the same. I need to look like I’m in this century and aware of the world, especially with my nearly white hair.

I don’t want to come across as one of those crotchety people yelling at kids to get off their lawn.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Lisa P, if you want to ask that different question, fine by me. The question I asked was very definitely *not* about style changes in general or being open to that. That’s part of being alive, as far as I’m concerned. It would be hard and unhealthy not to change at all. I was responding very specifically to the idea of pushing oneself, as in forcing a style change. I’m not all the way through the responses yet—I see that Angie is in here too, and she’s the one who brought up the idea of pushing a change—but so far the only reasons I’ve gotten to that make sense to me as to why to push a style change are physical and external factors, like a big weight shift, or needing to look professional.

Again, if you want to lose that question, go ahead. I think my style change this year is a good example of a change taking place without pushing for it. I’m not opposed to anyone wondering how that happened, am distancing myself from it simply to say it is not the question I asked that prompted Sterling to wrote this post.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Kerry, interesting. To me, choosing what part of current fashions to incorporate into my style, as opposed to being a space to fashion, sounds like the less forced way to go about it. But you see it the other way around. Hmm

Cardiff Girl, YES! We have changed, so it would be strange if our style didn’t. So why the need to force it, instead of just letting it take shape as it happens? I guess I’m developing a bit of an answer: our different roles may need to interact in very specific ways. When I became a mother, I wanted to dress in ways that were always playground-friendly, but found I needed a somewhat stiffer style for my classroom role as geography prof, even though the “playground style” didn’t interfere with the writing part of being a prof.

Joy, for me, avoiding that kind of judgementalism is not a reason to intentionally change my style. If anything, it makes it easier to figure out who I want to spend time around and invest in a friendship with.

La ped, I hear inner conflict between that New Englander who wants to wear things til they have holes, patch them up, and wear them some more, and the part of you that craves change. I agree with you that it’s more fun to let the change part win—as long as it doesn’t become disconcertingly crazy.

Lisa P, who said anything about being “stuck”? Not forcing yourself to change certainly doesn’t mean you never will change. If anything, the kind of eternal sameness you describe sounds very hard to maintain, so is much more likely to be forced. I don’t see the choice as being between pushing yourself to change and forcing yourself to stay the same—I see it as between rolling with the changes, evolving with what life brings you, as opposed to any use of force, whether that force is for or against change.

Angie, hm, that doesn’t sound so pushy to me!

Janet, yes, we keep evolving. So why push ourselves? We are going to change regardless—and I don’t mean entropy. We can certainly change in good ways without pressuring ourselves.

Kkards, oof, that sounds that pressure, forcing you. Ugh.

Smittie & JAileen, sounds like you are interested in the same question Lisa P is interested in—“why evolve your style” instead of the one I asked “why push yourself to evolve your style (instead of letting it develop naturally)?”

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